


Red String of Faith

by cianalikesbeans



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Multi, Red String of Fate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:49:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24564133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cianalikesbeans/pseuds/cianalikesbeans
Summary: "I found you and I'll save you."_____The red string was an all known soulmate finder. For centuries, it had been the thing that most people use to find their happily ever after.Until, someone decided to ruin it. One after the other, the red string of fate slowly ceased and every single person was cut of from their partners, only to be reunited if they underwent a long process.As excruciating the process was, it did come with it's own positive effects... Everlasting health for both soulmates.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Reader, Kageyama Tobio/Reader, Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader, More/reader, Oikawa Tooru/Reader, Sugawara Koushi/Reader, various (haikyuu)/reader
Comments: 20
Kudos: 127





	1. Prologue

Once there was a red string, connecting all soulmates so they may find one another and live happily ever after... But one person decided to mess with fate. They made it so the string would be incomplete and would only connect when you find your soulmate and do something untold.

As generations have passed, people no longer believed in soulmates. Those who did not believe in that wouldn't see their own red string. Very few people still believe in soulmates and secretly are on the search for their significant other.

There is a belief... That whatever sickness you may have, can be reversed by your soulmate.

___

A terrible fate has been bestowed upon a young girl who only wanted to do what she loved; play volleyball.

Congestive heart failure. A sickness that heavily changed the lifestyle of (Y/n) (L/n). She could no longer do her activities without easily running out of breath and having trouble breathing.

As time passes, her condition only worsens. It's only a matter of time before she soon leaves earth and into eternal peace...

Or is it?


	2. Chapter 1 - Four Years

"Good morning, Kenma!" Kenma turns his head, shocked that he was hearing that voice earlier than he thought he would.

There, walking towards him, was his neighbor (Y/n) (L/n). The girl he basically considered his sister, the one he's grown up with, the one (along with Kuroo) who introduced him to Volleyball and helped him make use of his talents.

"(Y/n)? Aren't you supposed to be at the hospital?" Kenma questions with an eyebrow raised, he'd paused his game and placed it in his pocket. Something that was quite rare for the boy to do.

(Y/n)'s eyes were bright, a smile displayed on her face. She looked beyond ecstatic to deliver the news to the pudding head. She walked ahead of him and patted his head. "I was let out early! Turns out my condition isn't at all that bad yet." She grinned.

"Yet." Kenma repeats, "That doesn't mean you're permanently well. Why are you so happy?" He says bitterly. Among him, (Y/n), and Kuroo, he was the one who absolutely despised her condition.

He didn't think it was fair that she of all people had to catch her life changing condition. (Y/n) had been diagnosed with heart failure at the early age of 13. She was only on her first year in middle school, her first and last year playing on a volleyball team. She, like other people Kenma knew, was very passionate about volleyball. She basically lived for volleyball... but now she could no longer do the thing she loved.

Ever since then, Kenma had been in doubt. He was the most unmotivated about volleyball amongst the three. He wondered if he even deserved to still be healthy and be able to play volleyball whenever he wanted. If he could, he'd gladly switch positions with the her.

"Eh?" (Y/n) pouts, "I'm happy because I'm not even near to death yet! I get to spend more time with you and Kuroo!" Kenma sighed, there it was. Her overwhelming positivity. He was sure she always thought this way to avoid breaking down.

Kenma gave her a nod of acknowledgment before taking out his game once again. One would think it was disrespectful to play games in the presence of another person, but (Y/n) knew that anyone would be blessed if the pudding head even gave them the time of his day.

"You're going to your practice match against Karasuno, right?" (Y/n) questions in a singsong voice. (Y/n) was always caught up with Nekoma's practice activities and tournaments. It was the closest she could get to playing volleyball. She'd sign up to be the volleyball team's manager, but with her constant visits to the hospital, she wouldn't really fit the role very well.

Kenma nodded his head, the sound of his game being played overpowering any inaudible words he ever tried to mutter.

(Y/n) patted his back gently, "Do your best okay? After all, they did go all the way here just to go against you guys."

Kenma looked her in the eye. How could he refuse? It wasn't like she was asking for much anyways.

"Sure thing."

______

The red string. The more she stared at it, the more she felt like a part of her was missing. No one really believed in soulmates anymore. They wouldn't believe what they didn't see... but how can one convince someone to believe in something that can only be seen once it is believed in?

It frustrated her how others didn't have to suffer from not knowing who their soulmate was like she did, but she was also glad she knew about it... after all, behind that belief gave her hope that she still had a future.

"The 4 years I've been given left to live isn't a countdown to my death..." (Y/n) mutters to herself, fiddling around with the glistening red string wrapped around her pinky finger, "It's a time limit for my mission on finding my soulmate."

The red string of fate wasn't really the red string of fate for her, it was more of the red string of faith. Without faith and belief, what else did she have left to keep her going? What would keep her little spark of hope keep going?

"I knew I'd find you here." (Y/n) slowly looked up, the snarky team captain of Nekoma peeking his head from behind the corner. "You like staring at water running when your anxious."

"I do?" (Y/n) tilts her head to the side. She looks at the water fountain that she had unconsciously kept running for over a few minutes now. "Oh... maybe I do."

Maybe she liked the fact that water was somewhat similar to the red string. Both had the same smooth texture, both were transparent, both were free. The only the difference was that water had an end to it... not like her incomplete red string.

"Kenma told me you'd be watching us today." Kuroo says, casually swinging his arm over his shoulder, "Didja get so excited to watch us that you bribed the hospital to let you out early? As much as I appreciate your support, that really isn't good for your health."

"Eh? I didn't bribe the hospital!" (Y/n) stuck out her tongue at her childhood friend, "I'm sure they wouldn't fall for any of my tricks anyway. I've been a regular for 4 years now."

"Not really something you should be proud of." Kuroo scoffed, ruffling her hair. (Y/n) didn't say anything, she leaned her head on his shoulder as she continued to watch the water run.

"... 4 years." Kuroo raised an eyebrow, he turns to the girl, awaiting answers. He was hoping what he thought she meant wasn't true.

"Wanna elaborate, little lady?" Kuroo asks, somewhat dryly. He wanted to hear her answer... but at the same time he didn't.

(Y/n) took her head off his shoulder and took his arm off of her.

"I have 4 years left to live."


	3. Chapter 2 - New People

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won’t follow the anime/manga scene per scene and will be changing some elements to fit with the story ^-^

“Good to see you back on your feet, (Y/n).” (Y/n) got up, turning to the owner of the voice. She was just fixing some snacks and drinks for the team the indulge in during their breaks like she always did whenever she was given the chance to help out.

“Yaku~san!” (Y/n) gave him a smile and a small wave, “Yep! I would definitely pick helping the team out over staying cooped up in a hospital bed any day!” She nods happily.

Yaku chuckled and pets her head despite her being slightly taller than him, “The entire team is thrilled to have you here. Expect your small fanclub to bombard you later when they have a chance.”

“Eh? A fanclub?” (Y/n) questions tilting her head to the side, she shook her confusion aside and focused back on her task at hand. She bent back down and continued arranging the water bottles, “You guys went out running for warmups right?” 

“Yeah.” Yaku answered, wiping his sweat with his towel, “Kenma got a little lost on the way. The others are out looking for him now.” He says casually.

(Y/n) got up, eyebrows raised, “Kenma got lost?” She questions as if it was some shocking discovery.

Yaku looked at her funny. It wasn’t exactly new news if Kenma got lost of some sort. He was extremely prone to stopping by at random locations to play video games. 

Still, (Y/n) dropped what she was doing and headed over to get her jacket, “I’ll go help look for him! You guys took the usual route right?” She asks, getting completely read to go out and search the whole city for her friend.

“(Y/n)... Aren’t you discouraged from doing any physical activities? Besides, I don’t want you to go out there alone either.” Yaku says.

“Pft, I’ll be okay, Yaku~san.” (Y/n) shrugged, “Besides, the doctors said I should walk around a little so that my immune system wouldn’t completely go down from all the period of times I stay in bed.” She gave him a thumbs up, “Don’t worry too much!”Yaku sighed, (Y/n) was always reasonable and wasn’t really the easiest to argue against. “Fine, but I’ll come with you. Nobody wants anything bad happen to you.”

“No, no, I’ll be fine on my own, I promise!” (Y/n) quickly said. If she was to be honest, she simply found this as an opportunity to walk around outside. She somehow believed that if her soulmate was out there, somewhere, she’d know once she was in close perimeter to him. “You should stay behind! Karasuno might be coming anytime now. Who knows if they decide to come early?”

Yaku sighed. Karasuno wasn’t exactly supposed to arrive until a few hours, but there was no point arguing with this girl.

“Fine. But if anything happens, contact the group chat immediately, okay?” He says strictly, crossing his arms as (Y/n) began running for the exit. She was waving her phone around in the air to assure him she had her means of communication.

“Okay mom! Will do! Love you!” She laughs, her voice fading out as she exited the gym. Her response still left the libero flustered. She was sometimes like that, but no one could get used to it at all.

(Y/n) immediately slowed down once she reached outside of the gym. She had completely forgotten that she wasn’t exactly supposed to be running around her condition.

She slowed down her pace to a calm, walking matter as she strolled the sidewalks of Tokyo. Nekoma was located in the neighborhood areas, so there weren’t many cars just strolling around, thus creating a safe environment for people to just stroll around.

(Y/n) stared at her left ring finger. She fixated her eyes on her finger, and slowly the red string visualized back on her finger. It’s familiar scarlet appearance reminding her of reality. Her time limit and what she had to do.

“It’s like straight out of a fairytale.” (Y/n) sighs, “At this point, I really am more or less the damsel in distress.” She chuckles. She didn’t really mind that fact.

She put her hand back down and focused on her walking, that was when she felt her pocket vibrate. New Text Message from Oikawa Tooru.

She still couldn’t put her finger on who the guy was and if he really was as popular as he makes himself out to be. She had met him at a cafe a few months ago. She was getting picked on by some girls who knew of her condition when he and his friend, Iwaizumi, came to her rescue.

So far, they have been nothing but nice to her and kept her company by talking to her via text messages when she was in the hospital.

Oikawa: (Y/n)~chan! guess what?

You: what is it?

Oikawa: in a few days, I’ll be appearing on the volleyball magazine!

Oikawa: Maybe then you’ll understand why I’m so popular ;))

You: You’re popular for volleyball?

You: I never knew....

Oikawa: I am believe it or not!

Oikawa: I know you dont read the magazine but PLEASE don’t miss it okay?

You: okay sure

Oikawa: yayy! soon you’ll know how lucky you are (Y/n)~chan  
Oikawa: gtg now, Iwa~chan and I are hanging out

You: Have fun!

(Y/n) skidded to a stop when she arrived in front of a familiar pudding head a bouncy living tangerine. She had no idea how she even got to where she currently was due to her texting, but she definitely found Kenma.

“E-eh? You’re a second year?! I’m sorry! I forgot to use formalities!”

“It’s okay... I don’t really care about those things.”

(Y/n) chuckled as she decided not to interfere. The little tangerine looked to be egging Kenma, and it was quite amusing to watch in her opinion.

“Ah! That’s great! I’m Hinata by the way! Hinata Shoyo.” The tangerine grinned wide, he wasn’t holding back any of his enthusiasm at all. (Y/n) was suprised Kenma was even putting up with him.

“Kozume... Kozume Kenma.” Kenma mutters back, “You can call me Kenma though, I don’t really like it when people use my last name.

“Got it!” Hinata nods vigorously. As quick paced he was, it didn’t take long for him to notice (Y/n). He turns his attention to (Y/n) so instantly that even Kenma knew which direction he should turn his attention to.

“Hey! I recognize you!”


	4. Chapter 3 - Progression

"Me?" (Y/n) says in a questioning tone, surprised that the short boy acknowledged her. She had no idea how he could possibly know her either. She wasn't popular for anything she had done. She was just… her. 

"Mhm!" Hinata shakes his head excitedly, "I saw one of your practice matches once and you were amazing! The way you could predict whether a serve was an out or not, and the way received any ball that went your way. You're such an amazing libero!" One could literally see the stars sparkled in the small middle blocker's eyes as he continued to gush about the (h/c) haired girl.

(Y/n) looked at Kenma, expecting some kind of reaction from him, but all he did was simply shrug. (Y/n) looked back at Hinata and patted his head, she had absolutely no idea that all this time, she had someone who looked up to her. It almost made her want to play volleyball again.

"Thanks, it makes me happy that I'm someone worthy of your praise." She gives him a soft smile. Hinata composed himself, supposedly realizing he was basically floating from excitement at this point and decided to calm down a little.

"Do you still play Volleyball? I bet you do! Can I watch one of your matches?" Hinata showered her with questions, but this only made the girl feel even more unsure about answering them. She always refrained from telling other people of her condition, she didn't want to be treated differently just because she was in that state.

(Y/n) opened her mouth to respond when Kenma interrupted her to it. Kenma noticed how the question made her uneasy and immediately knew why. He stepped next to her, looking at Hinata intensely, "She doesn't play anymore for reasons we can't state." he says simply.

Hinata accepted that this wasn't a subject he should try to know more about and simply nodded, feeling a little guilty that he'd put her on the spot without knowing. "So… does that mean I won't get to see you play anymore?" he asks sadly.

(Y/n) chuckled and just nodded, "Nothing lasts forever. Anyways, it was nice meeting you, Hinata. Kenma and I have to go." She says, grabbing Kenma's wrist as if he was a child that would run away any moment. 

Hinata looked sad but (Y/n) was sure this was the last time they'd meet. She had a feeling they'd come across him very soon. Several voices were heard calling out his name as some teenagers that wore the same uniform as him came into view.

"Yeah, I have to go too." Hinata says, running towards those who (Y/n) assumed was his teammates, he was waving at them, his sad demeanor switching to a happy one, "It was nice meeting you!"

"See you soon." Kenma says softly before they finally departed. (Y/n) turns to look at him in confusion. Was there something he noticed that made him think he'd be meeting him soon too?

"See you soon?"

"His shirt. It says he's from Karasuno."

"Oh."

_____

"He's flying." Her (h/c) orbs glistened as she watched Hinata take his big leap. She hadn't seen a volleyball match in so long, so right now it was like she was in paradise as she watched Nekoma and Karasuno's practice match take place.

The powerful serves, the narrow receives, the clever sets… They all peeked her interest like a cartoon with did to a child. 

It interested her more to see Hinata in action. It wasn't everyday that you'd see someone lacking in the height department completely going fine against 6 footers. His determination was overflowing and she could feel it from a mile away.

When Hinata and their black haired setter did their super quick, many were quite shocked. The way they delivered the ball to the other side in the blink of the eye made it seem like with this technique, they could get past any blocker. 

(Y/n) sat at the edge of her seat as her team came up with a plan to make their super quick not so unstoppable. One of their first years were to focus solely on Hinata. He was to study his movements and figure out the exact moment needed to jump and block his spike.

"Volleyball isn't just a game of who has the better moves… It's a game on who can counter their opponents techniques faster." (Y/n) mutters as their first year got his first successful block from Hinata and their setter's super quick.

She could see that all of a sudden, Hinata realized that their quick wasn't as unstoppable as he thought it was. Instead of getting discouraged, he got even more hyped, wanting more and feeling challenged to find away around Nekoma's first year's great block.

Before anyone knew it, their practice match had ended. Nekoma had won by a hair. What mattered most was that everyone had fun, and Karasuno was no longer the flightless crows everyone knew them to be. They were soaring for heights.

She wanted to soar heights too. All of a sudden her whole body was itching to play volleyball. It was a temptation. One that seemed impossible to resist.

As (Y/n) ran up to distribute the water bottles around to her team, she couldn't help but imagine herself receiving one of their powerful serves. Thinking about it was inevitable, especially since she had basically been teased by watching them play.

"Great job out there, you all." (Y/n) smiled as she handed over their drinks. A certain spiker seemed to have noticed her presence and was quite surprised he nearly threw himself at her if it weren't for Kuroo blocking him with his tall body.

"(L/n)!! You're back!" Yamomoto cried out, making grabby hands at her since Kuroo wouldn't let him through, "Karasuno was being quite braggy with them having a girl manager, but you're here! That'll show them!" 

"Watch out, she just come out of the hospital." Yaku sighed, crossing his arms as he shook his head in disappointment over Yamomoto's carelessness.

(Y/n) chuckled and gave him a small wave, "You guys did amazing! It made me feel like I was playing volleyball as well because of your intensity." She giggled as she placed a towel on Kenma's head. The pudding head was basically bathing in his sweat.

"Yeah, I guess they won't be staying as fallen crows any longer." Kuroo says, "They're interesting opponents. Unpredictable. Too bad we were way faster at countering them." 

The team then proceeds to engage in their own conversations, leaving (Y/n) to try and force out a conversation from Kenma. Kenma glanced at her unexplainable facial expression, she had one that looked to be teasing. She definitely noticed something during the match.

"You were actually invested in the match, now, weren't you?" (Y/n) sang as she circled Kenma with her hands behind her back.  
  
Kenma looked at her blankly and took a sip from his water bottle, "No." He says plainly. 

(Y/n) laughs and pats his head, "But I saw how you looked! You actually looked like you were having fun and felt challenged by the other team! You really do find interest in Hinata, huh?"

Kenma glared at her, a little annoyed by how persistent she was in getting a reaction out of him. As much as he hated to admit it, he really did have fun during the match. He felt a new sense of energy surging through him. Maybe it was because of Karasuno and Hinata… or maybe it was because he felt like he was playing for (Y/n).

"It's nice though." (Y/n)'s tone dropped as her smile turned into a sad one, "Being able to freely play volleyball." She mutters, "I really want to play… even if it's for a split second." She bit her lip as she stared at her feet.

Kenma noticed her sudden change of emotion and placed a hand on your shoulder, "If it hurts you, maybe you shouldn't be watching us play." He says worriedly.

(Y/n) looked up at him and shook her head, "No, no! I'll always be your number one supporter no matter what." She says, determined. "I just miss being able to receive a ball."

Kenma nodded, knowing not to say anything further that would tempt her even more. He heads over to the bleachers to play some games during break. This left (Y/n) alone to figure out what to do with her feeling of need to play volleyball.

That's when she heard it. The sound of volleyballs hitting the ground. She turned around and discovered it was because Hinata and their setter were practicing their super quick. What caught her attention though, was the fact that Hinata was basically spiking at nothing. The ball was free to be received by anyone who dared do so.

She knew she shouldn't, but her body was itching for it. Besides, an opportunity was being presented to her. Who was she to turn it down?

Without even a second thought, she began running towards them at full speed. They were basically on the other side of the court, she had to run faster than anyone who tried to stop her.

When her feet began slamming against the ground, she could already feel her body shutting down. She was already out of breath as her heart pounded intensely. She felt like she was dying already.

'No… Liberos are people who everyone counts on… they shouldn't let their team down no matter what.' She told herself as she pushed herself to her limit.  
  
It all somehow felt like it was going in slow motion. The way Hinata sprung of the ground and was literally flying, and the way their setter brought the ball to him with pin point accuracy. All she had to do was arrive their in time and not break spirit.

Hinata slammed it down, the ball coming at the ground at top speed… but (Y/n) got there in time. Diving at the ground and successfully receiving the ball.

Hinata looked up at the ball in confusion as (Y/n) came rolling on the floor. She definitely did not land well as she slammed into the wall shortly after.

The ball came down to the ground, leaving a period of silence to come over as everyone turned towards (Y/n).

(Y/n) however just laid there, feeling a mix of emotions bubbling within her. Her need to play volleyball was met for the time being, but she could no longer feel herself stably breathing.

Her breathing was irregular and it was like she was gasping for breath, her chest was tightening up as her heart threatened to give up. But she didn't regret doing it at all.

Soon, she blacked out, but not before noticing how her red string got noticeably longer.


	5. Chapter 4 - Opportunity

Hinata paced back and forth in the waiting room, his footsteps being the loudest sound made as the rest of his teammates remained silent. Despite the fact that Hinata's pacing slowly drove them insane, no one dared say a word. It all happened so suddenly; the (h/c) haired girl just collapsed out of nowhere after receiving the ball Hinata spiked.

Even if the cause being them may be awfully farfetched, they still couldn't help but feel responsible and offered to make sure she was okay before passing it off (well… at least most of them did). 

While Hinata seemed to be the most anxious physically, the one under the most pressure was actually the mother figure of Karasuno, Sugawara Koushi. He always felt responsible for any problems his baby crows created. While he did cover for them while the problem was at hand, he was sure to give them an earful once they were out of sight.

He was very much concerned that Hinata had caused the girl to be extremely hurt, but seeing as Hinata already pressured himself enough, all Sugawara could do was think of ways to make it up to her once she got better.

"Who was she again?" Kageyama spoke up after the long period of silence. Kageyama was the black haired setter that when paired up with Hinata could get past almost any blocker (at least that's what they thought). He wasn't known to be quite smart outside volleyball, so he could be ignorant at time likes this.

Nishinoya and Tanaka, two other chaotic young crows, decided that this was a sign that they too can speak their mind even if they knew there was a possibility that whatever they would say would be stupid. Soon enough, they all showered Hinata with questions.

"Is she actually Nekoma's manager? Yamamoto was complaining about not having a girl manager!"

"Who is she to you, Shoyo? Was she so attracted that she couldn't help but receive your quick?!"

These were only some among many, and Hinata was definitely overwhelmed. He stopped pacing around and backed himself up against the wall, unable to answer the questions as he looked at the others for help.

The others paid him no mind, having the mindset that it was actually his fault they were forced to come wait in the first place, but Daichi, the father figure of the team shot them a glare shortly after. Both Sugawara and Daichi knew that the full news hadn't been brought to them yet so they couldn't point fingers at anyone at all. 

"Calm down, you two," Sugawara sighed, running a hand through his hair as he gave the two a stern look, "no one knows what's happening. Hinata doesn't as well." He got up and pushed Tanaka and Nishinoya back down in their seats. The two boys pouted at this action but let it be.

"Yeah," Tsukishima scoffed, he was a middle blocker and the one that sprinkled salt in any situation possible, "Hinata is too much of a simpleton to even know the answers to all those question." He snickers, Yamaguchi, his close friend, following along.

Hinata huffed and stuck out his tongue at him before turning to Kageyama. "Why do you all keep blaming me?! It's not like I did the quick all by myself! Kageyama played a part in it too!" Kageyama glared at him but said nothing.

"No ones blaming you, Hinata." Sugawara says warningly, "So sit down, you're getting a little too loud for others' comfort." Hinata sighed and obliged. All they needed was a little patience anyways.

When they came to make sure a girl that their teammate had undoubtedly caused inconvenience, they only expected to make up for his mistake and leave… little did they know there could be more to it.

_______

It was questionable how despite all of Kuroo and Kenma's desperate attempts remained resultless, a simple storm of text messages managed to wake the (H/c) haired girl up. Perhaps it was how the vibrations felt all to familiar, after all, during her times in the hospital, this was the sign she would have some company.

So there (Y/n) was, sitting up on her bed and typing furiously on her phone. She'd just woken up and Iwaizumi and Oikawa had done the job of calming her down before she freaked out about the consequences of her poor life decisions. Funny how two people she'd never met in real life and only interacted with online had this effect on her.

A familiar pudding head entered the room, his back still hunched over as he played while walking. He only stopped his game when he realized that the girl was awake. He felt a wave of relief knowing that she simply passed out and nothing bad really happened.

"Are you an idiot?" He says bluntly, walking over to the girl as he pockets his game. Given that he was angry at her stupidity, he also knew that her limitations were hard to deal with and tolerated some slip ups once in a while.

(Y/n) immediately looked up, her heart stopping for a moment as Kenma gave her a scare. She dropped her phone and looked away, noticing the angry look he had on his face. To normal people, Kenma's angry face was his normal expression, but those close to him knew exactly when a storn was about to come.

"I don't know." (Y/n) bit her cheek, "I just had the urge to play volleyball that's all. Watching you guys play makes me wanna cry sometimes from holding in the urge to play...." She mutters, feeling her mood go down immediately as she recalled the reality of her condition.

Kenma felt himself go soft again, he sat on the edge of her bed and secretly slipped her phone away. "Yeah but if you wanna talk about your frustrations, you can tell us and not some people you talk to online..." He says bitterly.

(Y/n) looked in her decision and chuckled. It was rare to see Kenma even show a bit of jealousy towards anyone. She crawled over to him and ruffles his head, "Don't worry," she chuckles, "I'll be better soon that I won't be so limited from volleyball anymore!"

Kenma melted at her touch and nodded. He always lnew that despite the dilemma she was in, (Y/n) was the last person to give up on herself. You could say that she had more faith in her own self getting healed more than anyone else.

The door to her room opened once again, this time Nekoma's Men's Volleyball Captain entering with a relaxed expression on his face. He walked over to (Y/n) and placed both hands on his waist.

"I knew you were awake!" Kuroo says triumphantly, "You always hold your phone the moment you wake up! For the last time, that's a very unhealthy habit and won't help you at all!" He sighed, motioning for Kenma to move over so he too can take a seat. Kenma rolled his eyes but obliged anyway.

(Y/n) stuck her tongue out at him and crossed his arms, "Hey, where's my phone?" She questions, looking around her blankets for said device. Kenma's ears perked up but he pretended not to know.

"Dunno," Kuroo shrugs, "after you're discharged though, you're going to hang out with us, no complaints." He says plainly before standing up shortly after, "Karasuno's joining either, so you can't refuse."

Kenma raised an eyebrow, he too was surprised at the sudden plans Kuroo created without letting any of them know. Besides, how was he so sure she'd be discharged so soon? 

Kenma looks over at (Y/n) who was in shock as well. But Kuroo basically proclaimed she'd get better and that definitely cheered her up. Sometimes Kuroo's straightforwardness helped make situations lighter.

(Y/n) smiled and nodded. Besides, this could be the perfect opportunity to find her soulmate as well. She needed to meet as many people as she could... Even if it meant having to meet everyone human on this planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this had such a dry tone to it! It took me 3 days to write it so I suffered as well. We're getting to the fun parts so it'll get pretty interesting soon, I promise!


	6. Chapter 5 - Challenger

Maybe it was destiny doing its work. The past few chain of events seemed quite unrealistic and seemed to have gone too smoothly. Could it be, that perhaps, destiny decided it was her time? Her time to meet her soulmate and make all her problems go away. Her time to get the full life she yearned and needed. Her time to feel security that she was finally safe.

You could call her selfish, but all the girl ever wanted was to discover the hope she'd kept faith in did truly exist. She may be selfish, for while she was indeed happy to meet new people… she was happy for the sole purpose of the chance of finding her soulmate. You never know who they could be. She'd search every nick and corner of this world and even so, her will drive wouldn't falter at all.

That is why when (Y/n) reflected on the golden opportunity given to her to get to know a whole set of new people, she gladly accepted it with no questions. Perhaps it seemed like she was only playing around, trying to get with many guys at once, but she really was a genuine happy person; while her main goal was to solve her own problem, she still wanted the best and happiness for everyone else.

Kuroo chuckled as the bubbly girl next too him unconsciously skipped as they headed for their destination. The girl seemed to have been in deep thought, but judging by the unbreakable smile on her face, he didn't exactly have to snap her out of it unless completely necessary.

They were currently headed towards the arcade. They figured (Y/n) would want some action due to how active she was, but they didn't exactly want her to get injured again; so clearly the arcade was the best pick. Kenma didn't exactly want to come along and wanted to sleep in despite the arcade being full of games, but they did end up persuading him to at least come later.

As they finally arrived at their desired location, Kuroo immediately noticed a bright-haired boy who went by the name of Hinata Shoyo. Hinata stood next to Kageyama, looking quite agitated much to Kageyama's irritation.

It seemed like Hinata couldn't quite accept the fact that he had no part in sending (Y/n) to the hospital, so unlike usual, he was afraid of interaction for the results of doing so. Kageyama seemed to have already given up on consoling him and left Hinata in the hands of fate.

"Yo chibi~chan and that other setter of Karasuno." Kuroo greets casually. Kageyama popped a vain at the sarcastic way Kuroo addressed to him but kept silent to avoid any fights. Kuroo tapped (Y/n)'s shoulder, snapping her out of her intense planning on how to find her soulmate. Unlike everyone else who just saw this as a simple hangout, (Y/n) definitely thought much more of it.

"Shoyo!… and that one setter from Karasuno-" (Y/n) greets abruptly, her enthusiasm not faltering one bit despite being unprepared for this moment. Hinata jerked in place and looked away, feeling any sort of words disappear from his brain aside from;

"I-I'm really sorry for causing you to go to the hospital the other day!" Hinata stutters out, abnormally flustered at making any sort of eye contact with the girl.

(Y/n) tilted her head to the side before chuckling at the adorable boy's antics, "It's alright! I promise that none of that was your fault, Shoyo!" Despite her reassuring the young boy, Hinata continued to be restless and couldn't find the strength at all to face the happy girl.

"W-well I- I'm sorry for causing you to go to the hospital the other d–" Hinata was about to repeat the same sentence again, when Kageyama raced him to it by hitting him straight at the head, "Cut it out, idiot, she obviously gets what you're trying to say." Kageyama grumbles.

He then turns to (Y/n) and Kuroo and bows. "Apologies for this idiot's childish behavior. I'm Kageyama." He says politely, a hint of awkwardness hidden in his tone as he was admittedly overwhelmed by the godly amount of confidence oozing out from the two Nekoma students, "Our other teammates came here from different locations, so some of them will be arriving late."

"Yeah sure. It's pretty cool you guys even agreed to meet up here despite living so far away." Kuroo says casually, he turns around to start heading inside the building, when (Y/n) zoomed past him in a flash, having both of Kageyama's hands in her own tiny hands and looking up at him enthusiastically.

"Can I call you by your first name?" (Y/n) grins, acting as if this was a normal thing to be done. By now, Kageyama's face had gone very red as he understood why Hinata was so flustered. How was this girl so confident to the fact she asks to call him by his first name so fast?

"I--- why?"

Kuroo chuckled when he noticed what was going on. This was just a normal thing for (Y/n), when given the chance to do so, she preferred to call her friends by their first names. This fact causes her to do such bold moves when meeting someone new. Of course, to everyone let's her call them by their first names much to her dismay.

"I don't really like being so proper towards potential friends. It's alright if you don't want though." (Y/n) answers simply, her eager smile never faltering, making it difficult for Kageyama to even think of refusing. Kageyama blinked at the invisible pressure she was giving him before finally answering.

"T-Tobio…"

"Great! Nice to meet you, Tobio!" (Y/n) grins and pulls away. Kageyama breathes out a sigh of relief before turning to Hinata who already seemed to have calmed down. Hinata only shrugged at him with a smile while Kuroo chuckled knowingly.

She was definitely something else right off the bat. This was only the start of the lengths she'd go through due to her determination.

_______

"So (L/n)~san… why did you decide to be a libero?" Hinata asks curiously as he took a bite out of his meat bun. The four of them had been playing around for only a few minutes, when certain hunger took over them, causing them to impulsively buy snacks with the money they were supposed to save for dinner.

(Y/n) placed her (F/F) down on the table and didn't even have to think before answering. "Liberos are amazing! They help keep the entire team balanced and give the team a sense of security that someone always has their back. Usually, it's the libero that sacrifices on a regular basis to ensure the ball stays up. Though being a libero is very rewarding, there is also the unspoken pressure. If you come across an enemy who's spike you can't receive… what would your purpose even be on court?"

Hinata's eyes immediately got sparkles as he looked at (Y/n) with admiration, "Liberos are so cool! Noya~san also said something similar, it really is starting to sound really noble now!" 

Kageyama scoffed as Hinata and (Y/n) proceeded to chatter away like they've known each other for years. It was almost as if Hinata wasn't such a stuttery, flustered boy just a few minutes ago.

Agreeably, (Y/n) was really good at video games. Perhaps it was because of the countless times she played with Kenma, or she really could just be really attracted to action and was very competitive despite not being able to do so very much.

(Y/n) was scarily determined. If she had her eyes on victory, she wouldn't stop for anyone and would do anything to achieve her goals. That's why her current goal was heavily ambitious and admittedly selfish in a way.

But of course, nobody else really knew about it except her. All she had to do now was to get them to warm up to her and hopefully find the right one for her. Rudely enough, this may be considered playing with their feelings... But she was smooth enough that it would seem like she unconsciously did this.

(Y/n) stops her conversation with Hinata and turns around with a huge smile, catching the attention of Kuroo who was oddly silent during the whole exchange. 

"What's up?" Kuroo asks as he follows her gaze. (Y/n) may have found her very first challenger in such a long time. The challenger that wouldn't fall for her friendliness quite quickly.

There stood the salty Tsukishima Kei along with Yamaguchi Tadashi.


	7. Chapter 6 - Chivalry (Pt. 1)

(Y/n) glances at Tsukishima by the corner of her eye, everybody else walking alongside them in silence as they headed for their destination. Kuroo kept quiet, playing music in one ear as he tried to avoid the nagging feeling to that one thing. He knew (Y/n) could very much take care of one salty boy on her own… all she needed was a fresh pack of patience and strength from God.

The very moment they had met up with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, the blonde had already expressed his honest opinions on this situation. He apparently didn't really like having to go leave his comfy abode just to hang out with some acquaintance. He then proceeded to leave a remark for each and every one of them, leaving everyone (except Yamaguchi) in a particularly bad mood.

Kuroo would've thrown hands the moment Tsukishima said (Y/n) was overvalued in the nicest-but-edging-towards-salty way possible, but the look (Y/n) gave him said he could leave it to her. So here they were, heading for the competitive game arcade just across the road. 

(Y/n) was determined to beat Tsukishima in one of the games to prove her worth and perhaps put him in place. (Y/n) did not like it when people thought themselves higher than others.

(Y/n)'s eyes sparkled as her eyes met with the words 'Chivalry and Shrewd'. Chivalry was a rising sword VR game that came out recently in arcades. (Y/n) had tried it out with Kenma several times; it was a multiplayer sword game for all players in the same arcade. The game's concept was you either played chivalrously or shrewdly. The decision of a player determined their beliefs and how they should be acting throughout the game.

The game was kill or be killed. If you chose to be chivalrous, you cannot sneak attack anyone and can only attack anyone head-on, you, however, could defend yourself and had much stronger defense. If you chose to be shrewd, you had lighter armor and defense, but you had the advantage of being able to disguise yourself in your surroundings and sneak up on your enemy.

The winner of every match won a piece of desert at the front counter.

"Guys, let's play this game!" (Y/n) beams as she rushes over, excitement running through her hole body as she couldn't wait to execute her plan. She suspected Tsukishima would pick shrewdness over chivalry, so she planned to defeat him using chivalry like how she believed all things should be.

"Ah! It's that famous sword game the tv's been commercializing! It must be so good for tv providers to be advertising it!" Hinata gawked as he looked just as excited (Y/n). He picks up the VR equipment and began looking at them curiously.

"They paid for it to be advertised, idiot." Kageyama scoffs, bonking Hinata on the head as he walked over to inspect the game as well. "That's not how commercials work." 

"Ah, it's the game you and Kenma went out to play a few weeks ago." Kuroo says, walking over towards (Y/n) with his arms crossed. He leaned over (Y/n), displaying their height difference which caused (Y/n) to be a little pissed.

"Yeah." (Y/n) grumbles, crawling out from underneath him. "So? Can we play?" She looked at everyone pleading, giving them her best puppy dog eyes. It was always hard to resist the girl when she did this, so, normally, no one even bothered to try and do so. Everyone nodded in agreement… well, except for Tsukishima.

"No." Tsukishima says bluntly, "I don't want to play this stupid game. I'd rather listen to music." He finished, putting his headphones back on without any hesitation. He would've walked off and headed for isolation if it weren't for (Y/n) annoyingly tugging on his sleeve with a determined look on her face.

"No! You're joining!" (Y/n) pursed her lips, "It's the perfect chance to bond with us!"

"Yeah, I think it would be a fun experience, Tsukki!" Yamaguchi beams, nodding at Tsukishima to agree and play with them. If he were to be honest, Yamaguchi didn't really want to play if Tsukishima wasn't going to play. Yamaguchi valued his friendship with Tsukishima above all else, so naturally he wanted to include Tsukishima in any activity possible.

"I said no." Tsukishima rolled his eyes, "Games like this aren't even that challenging anyways." He scoffed, "Especially since the people playing are you guys."

Hinata furrowed his eyebrow, triggered by what Tsukishima said. He went to pounce at him but Kageyama held him back by pulling the back of his shirt. "Why you- why are you always so mean, Tsukishima?" Hinata whined, shaking his fist at the air.

Kuroo sighed and walked over, "You think you're so cool, huh?" He leans his face closer towards Tsukishima, "We're not that easy to defeat, you know? How about you prove your point by actually playing instead of trying to convince us you're better?"

"I could care less if you believed me or not." Tsukishima sighed, "I said no. It's my choice if I want to play or not." He finished. He attempts to shake (Y/n) off of him, but the girl was stubborn. She held on tight without any intention on letting go. Tsukishima's attitude was really getting to her, so she was getting even more and more eager to defeat him.

"If any of us wins… you're getting the prize." (Y/n) says bluntly. Hinata opened his mouth to retort, when Kageyama hit him to shut him up about it. Yamaguchi smiled knowingly, knowing how much Tsukishima loved strawberry cake. There was no way Tsukishima would pass off the offer of free strawberry cake.

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at the shorter girl, a little annoyed she actually managed to trap him. He jerks his sleeve away from her one last time, actually managing to shake her off, before nodding in agreement.

______

'I.K has been defeated.'   
'O.T has been defeated.'

"Woah, someone managed to defeat two people in a row!" Hinata, the boy who had been following (Y/n) around with no mercy, exclaimed as he inches closer to (Y/n). Seeing as how (Y/n) had easily defeated a player on shrewd mode during the first few minutes of the game, Hinata decided to stay with her for safety; while (Y/n,) being an absolute softie for sunshines like him. couldn't bring herself to attack him. 

"It could just be two players being defeated in two different locations at the same time." (Y/n) shrugged, not paying much thought to it as a pro player at this game wasn't too common since it had only just come out. She lingered around the castle ruins, paying close attention to any potential hiding places around the courtyard.

"Yeah that's true." Hinata shrugged, he placed his hand on his sword, ready to swing at any attack coming at him knowing that was the only chance he had at surviving. Hinata wasn't exactly that skilled at sword swinging… or games for that matter! The only thing he ever really practiced for was Volleyball, so he did have that competitive spirit going for him.

"Why did you choose chivalrous?" (Y/n) looks back at him, tilting her head curiously. Hinata looked at the ceiling, searching for the reason why he did so. The boy himself didn't exactly know why.

"Well, (L/n)~san chose chivalrous and I think respect for both your allies and your enemies are very important!" Hinata grins, nodding his head, "Plus being shrewd means you need to be smarter… I don't think I can do that."

"Not necessarily." (Y/n) chuckled, turning her head back to her path, "Being shrewd just means you'd rather take your time and hide in the shadows instead of doing the classic way… and while I don't have any problem with that, I prefer battles being done where it's fair for both parties. War is already a sign of lost peace, so I really would like it if the winner could win fair and square."

(Y/n) stops in her tracks, feeling a chill run down her spine as she felt a presence other than hers and Hinata's. She looks around trying to find out where it was coming from, when she finally realized. She turns around, wide eyed, the ravenette coming up from behind Hinata just proving her gut feeling.

"Behind you, Shoyo!" 

Hinata reacted only a second later and took quite a lot of damage from Kageyama's attack. He stumbled upon his steps, successfully blocking his next attack. Hinata could feel his heartbeat suddenly quicken, he wasn't quite prepared for everything to be so fast-paced in this game.

"Bakayama!" He blurts out, "How mean! You didn't even bother to attack me like a normal person would." He grumbles, pouting as he moves swiftly to block another one of Kageyama's slices.

"Normal person? Nearly everyone in this game chose shrewd. A normal person would choose the best possible role which has the most advantages." Kageyama rolled his eyes, "I'm gonna defeat you!" He says before quickening his pace.

(Y/n) was about to run over and help the orange-haired boy, when a familiar, cocky team captain came into view. Kuroo held his sword close to her neck, a smirk lingering his mouth as he rubbed the fact that he had checkmated (Y/n) in the (H/c)-haired girl's face.

"Got you, sweetheart." Kuroo chuckled, catching (Y/n) off guard as her eyes went wide. She didn't understand why she didn't notice him a few feet away despite his big aura that could steal anyone's attention from even a mile away. Lucky for her, however, Kenma and her had learned a big secret from the several times they've played. The weak spot of all shrewd players.

Because of the lack of defense for those that chose shrewd, everyone had the one unguarded spot somewhere on their bottom side. Any strong hit would automatically cause that player to witness defeat. Kuroo's position was full on offense, his whole body was open for he seemed to preoccupied with the fact he believed he had cornered (Y/n).

(Y/n) smiled innocently before hitting that spot with the dull end of her sword. 

"No, I got you."


End file.
